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2 文本与参考答案
Explaining and clarifying
解释和说明
学习内容提要
Explaining a difficult situation 说明困难形式
Listing reasons and consequences 列出原因和结果
Using formal language 使用正式语言
Context 情景
1 公司有时需要宣布一些关乎公司未来发展的重大消息。用下面这些方式来向员工和股东宣布重大消息，各有什么优点和缺点？
l by e-mail
l on the company website
l by phone
l by formal letter
lin the company newsletter
lby a statement in the press
lin short, informal meetings
lin a large, formal meeting
2 如果你是a，b或c，你希望公司的重大消息如何宣布？
a an employee
b a shareholder
c a director having to announce the news
Presentation 语言呈现
Brinisi是一家著名的高档皮具制造商。在英国、法国和意大利都设有工厂。在一次股东大会上，公司的首席执行官Jean-Blanc讲述了当前的形势和公司的重要发展举措。 |
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说明困难形势
1 请听Jean-Paul讲话的第一部分，选出正确的答案。
1 Jean-Paul is talking about the past six months /year.
2 The situation inthe world markets has been stable / unstable.
3 Nobody /Everybodythought these problems would happen.
4 The company was/ wasn’t able to finance its modernization programme.
2 再听一遍Jean-Paul 的这部分讲话，将下列句子补充完整。
1 ，I need to give you some of the current situation.
2 , the instability in the world markets a rise in interest rates and pressure on the loans we took out last year…
3 , , we were not finance the full modernization programme …
列出原因和结果
3 请听Jean-Paul讲话的第二部分，判断下列说法是否正确。
| T | F | ||
1 Raw materials have been in short supply. | 小贴士宣布重大消息时，先说明背景原因，这样可以减轻给听众带来的震动。 | ||
| 2 The company’s labour costs are competitive. | |||
| 3 A new company is able to be more competitive than Brinis. | |||
| 4 The company is going to keep production in Europe. |
4 再听一遍Jean-Paul的这部分讲话，将下列句子补充完整。
1 to a rise both in the price of our raw materials and in the cost of labour.
2 , our inability to implement the modernization programme has meant that our operation …
3 , over the past year, we have had to face fierce competition …
4 , and the uncertain outlook, we must take steps to ensure …
5 I trust the factors which have influenced …
5 a 下面是Jean-Paul 所列举出的原因。请根据它们在讲话里出现的先后顺序进行排列。
inability to finance modernization
rise in interest rates
instabilityin world markets
rise in labour costs
new aggressive competitor
rise in production costs
pressure on loans
shortage of raw materials
b 再听一遍录音，核对答案
发音练习
6 听录音，标出练习5中出现的下列各单词的重读音节。
1 aggressive 2 competitor 3 pressure 4 production 5 materials
使用正式语言
下面两题中，a和b哪种表达方式更正式？
1 a Hi, guys.
b Good morning, ladies and gentlemen.
2 a Now’s your opportunity to ask questions.
b So, any questions on that?
| 小贴士 说明重要事情或情况时，通常使用正式语体。 |
Practice 演练
说明困难形势
1 从框中选择合适的单词补全下面的节选段落。
aware background coupled due fair first given mind overall position reason top |
Ladies and gentlemen, 1 of all, I’d like to welcome you to this meeting to give you some of the 2 to the current situation. As you are well 3 , we are facing a very difficult trading situation, but I think it is 4 to say that a wonderful effort has been made over the past year to keep the company profitable. This is 5 to the supreme commitment of the workforce 6 with some brave decisions taken by the management. On 7 of this, we have to thank all our long-standing clients for continuing to buy our products. 8 , our survival is a tribute to everyone connected with the company.With this in 9 , I am sorryto say that, 10 the present situation, we are still not in a 11 to award a pay rise for this year. For this 12 , I hope you will accept my thanks for all your hard work, together with a promise to review the situation as soon as the economic climate improves.
列出原因和结果
2 选择正确答案。
1 If the economic situation gets /will get worse,we go /will go out of business. 2 If they will sign / sign the contract tomorrow,wedeliver / will deliver the goods by the end of the month. 3 If we don’t hear / will not hear from them, it mean/ means the contract has been lost. 4 We will lose / are losing business if we don’tinstall / didn’t install new software. 5 They won’t give / didn’t give you an answer even if you kept / keep calling them. 6 We have never made / will never make a profit unless we reduce / will reducethe workforce. | 小贴士 如果假设的情形将来发生的可能性非常大，那就可以使用第一条件句（即真实条件句）形势。 |
3 选择正确答案。
1 We made a small profit, although / despite the difficult trading conditions.
2 It is true that the board made a bad decision. However / though, it seemed the right thing to do at the time.
3 Generally,although / though, the past 12 months have been quite encouraging.
4 It is true that the board made a bad decision, however / though it seemed the right thing to do at the time.
5 Despite /Although everyone isn’t here yet, I think we should start.
6 I know who you mean. I can’t remember his name, despite / though.
使用正式语言
4 a 下面这些句子用更正式的语言应该怎么表达？参看第1.8.4中4.1和4.2两段录音的文本，思考答案。
1 Good to see you here today.
2 Let’s kick off with an update.
3 We’ve had a few problems.
4 Also, other players have been upping their game.
5 Hope this all makes sense to you.
6 Any questions?
b 听录音，核对答案并跟读。
发音练习
5 a 下面是Jean-Paul的讲话中用到的一些单词。请标出各单词的重读音节。
1 decisions 2 conditions 3 instability
4 consequent 5 position 6 modernization
7 reasonable 8 expectation 9 inability
10 competition 11 disastrous 12 implications
b 听录音，核对答案。
Consolidation 巩固练习
1 剪下以下卡片，打乱顺序，然后将表达相同意思的正式说法和非正式说法对应起来。
| OK? | Is everything satisfactory? |
| I’ll get in touch right away. | I shall contact you immediately. |
| Also, we've had a few setbacks. | On top of this, there have been a number of unforeseen difficulties. |
| As you know, we've put a lot of money into this scheme. | I am sure you are well aware of our heavy investment in the development. |
| The bad news is that our yearly figures are down. | Unfortunately, our annual results are a little lower than anticipated. |
| I don't know about the future. | The outlook is uncertain. |
| We don't have any alternative. | Realistically, we are forced to conclude that our options are limited. |
| Sales are down. We've got to lay off staff. | We have to make redundancies due to disappointing sales. |
| Thanks for coming. | I am grateful to you all for attending today. |
| We did pretty well, right? | I am sure you will agree that the results are more than satisfactory. |
2 下次参加正式英语会议的时候，想想可以使用哪些正式表达。以下表格对你会有所帮助。
| Formal language: checklist | |
| Point | Examples |
| Use full forms, not contractions | We will start .. (not we'll start) We have experienced ... (not we've experienced) |
| Use longer (Latinate) words | Our inability to implement the modernization programme ... I trust this clarifies the situation. |
| Use passive voice | The company has been forced to... We are faced with rising costs. |
| Use connectors to join sentences | Due to the difficult trading situation,the company has been forced to cut costs. ...and indeed it is true that...
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| Don't use slang or colloquial language
| Good morning (not Hi) We are not in a postion to ... (not We can't ....)
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Reference 重要词汇和表达
Usefulphrases 实用表达
Explaining a difficult situation 说明困难形势
beyond all reasonable expectation | 超出所有合理的预期 |
Given this situation，… | 考虑到这种情况，…… |
It is fair to say that … | 可以这么说 …… |
With the aim of … | 旨在…… |
coupled with … | 加上…… |
As you are all well aware … | 你们都知道…… |
(Our competitors) have come off worse than(ourselves). | (我们的一些竞争对手)情况比（我们）还糟。 |
I need to give you some of thebackground to … | 我需要向你们介绍一些……的背景情况。 |
Putting (other key players) out ofbusiness | 将（其他主要竞争者）逐出市场 |
Listing reasons and consequences 列出原因和结果
First of all, … | 首先, …… |
Firstly / Secondly / Lastly, … | 首先/其次/最后，…… |
For this reason, … | 为此，…… |
On top of this, … | 除此之外，…… |
This is due to … | 这是由于…… |
Which means that… | 这意味着…… |
We are not in a position to … | 我们不能够…… |
…has resulted in … | ……导致了…… |
We must take steps to … | 我们必须采取措施…… |
Using formal language 使用正式语言
Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. | 女士们，先生们，早上好。 |
Now is your opportunity to ask questions. | 现在你们可以提问了。 |
to give you some background to the current situation | 向你们介绍一下目前的形势情况 |
to experience some difficult conditions | 经历一些困难 |
to face fierce competition | 面临激烈竞争 |
I trust this clarifies the situation。 | 我相信这已清楚地说明了当前的情况 |
Vocabulary 词汇
Trading conditions 贸易环境
backing [ˈbækɪŋ] n.支持；资助 | interest rate 利率 |
| clarify [ˈklærəfaɪ] v.阐明 | labour-intensive adj.劳动密集型的 |
consequent adj.随之发生的；作为结果的 | loan n.贷款 |
disastrous adj.灾难性的；以失败告终的 | long-term adj.长期的 |
economic climate 经济形势 | lose business / a contract 失去生意/合同 |
establish (a foothold) 建立(基础) | make a profit / loss 赢利/亏损 |
factor n.因素 | outlook n.前景；展望 |
fierce adj.为······提供基金 | phase out 逐步淘汰；逐步结束 |
foothold n.基础；立足点 | pressure n.压力 |
foresee v.预知；预见 | raw material 原料 |
freight and importation cost 运费和进口成本 | rise v&n.增长 |
implement v.执行；实施 | short supply 供应短缺 |
implication n.可能的后果；影响 | shortagen.短缺；不足 |
(in)ability n.(无)能力 | source n.来源 |
(in)stability n.(不)稳定 | (un)profitableadj.无/有利润的 |
world market 全球市场 | (un)stable adj.(不)稳定的 |
| world-wideadj.遍及全世界的 |
学习建议
英文报纸上的“商业新闻”版块常会刊登一些公司声明，所用语言都比较正式。阅读这些声明并随时做笔记，这能帮你熟悉正式声明的结构，积累相关词汇。
Review 复习
Skill技巧
当要宣布不好的消失时，可以考虑使用如下的技巧和策略：
Set up a formal meeting 召开一个正式会议
Use formal language 会上使用正式语言
Give the background to the situation 介绍背景情况
Listthe reasons and consequences clearly 清楚地说明原因和结果
Invitequestions and comments from the participants 鼓励与会者提出问题和意见
Usefulphrases 实用表达
完成下面这些表达。
1 all reasonable expectation
2 On of that，...
3 ... which this ...
4 First of ,...
5 you are well aware,...
6 We are not in a to ...
7 It is to say that ...
8 We could be out of business
Vocabulary 词汇
将下列单词（1-10）与其释义（a-j）对应起来
1 fierce 2 phase out 3 factor 4 implication 5 source 6 shortage 7 foothold 8 outlook 9 implement 10 consequent | a lack b resulting c position from which one can climb d element e consequence f origin g aggressive h make something happen i gradually reduce and stop j future situation |
Pronunciation 发音练习
a 下列句子都出自本单元的会议讲话，其中斜体单词的哪个音节应重读？
1 First of all,I need to give you some of the background to the current situation and the major decisions we have been forced to make.
2 I think that it is fair to say that no one could have foreseen these problems,and indeed,it is true that some ofour competitors have come off much worse than ourselves.
3 Secondly, production coats here at home have gone up beyond all reasonable expectation.
4This is due to a rise both in the price of our raw materials and in the cost of labour.
5 Lastly,over the past year,we have had to face fierce competition from a new player in our field.
6 I trust this clarifies the factors which have influenced our decision to phase out our manufacturing operation in Europe and to moveour main production to China.
b 再听一遍录音，核对答案。跟读这些句子，注意应该在哪些地方重读。
